In business as a whole, there are a number of factors encouraging the prospect of greater equality in the workforce. Demographic trends suggest that the number of women going into employment is steadily increasing. In addition a far greater number of women are now passing through higher education, making them better qualified to move into management positions. 　　这段话中，首句a number of factors encouraging...是一个正向词，说明在分析好的因素。第二句number...increasing和第三句higher education, better qualified都是正向词，说明在具体论述第一句话中的好的因素。但是，二三句之间的一个In addition让我们知道了这两句话之间是一个"递进"关系，那么其前后的方向应该是相同的。所以，当我们看完第二句话之后，发现这个"递进"关系时，后面的内容根本不需要看了。至于prospect和demographic trends即使都是你的生词，又怎能妨碍你抓住段落的主旨--a number of factors呢？ 　　常见的表示方向的关系有如下几大类： 　　表示前后方向相反： 　　转折关系： but/however/yet, on the other hand, despite 　　对比关系： more/less...than..., unlike 　　表示前后方向相同： 　　并列关系： A and B, not...nor..., first, second, third 　　递进关系： moreover, in addition/additionally/besides, not only...but also... 　　那么请大家来做一个练习： 　　Managerial and executive progress made by women is confirmed by the annual survey of boards of directors carried out by Korn /Ferry /Carre /Orban International. This year the survey shows a doubling of the number of women serving as non-executive directors compared with the previous year. However, progress remains painfully slow and there were still only 18 posts filled by women out of a total of 354 non-executive positions surveyed. Hilary Sears, a partner with Korn /Ferry, said, ‘Women have raised the level of grades we are employed in but we have still not broken through barriers to the top.' 　　上面一段话，完全可以浓缩成以下内容： 　　... progress(+) ... doubling of the number(+) ... However ... painfully slow(-) ... raised the level of grades(+) ... but ... not broken through(-) ... 　　也就是说，从两次出现"however/but"这种转折关系词来看，这一段话一直采用的是一种"对比"结构，分别论述了妇女找工作的好坏两方面。怎么样，你能否仅仅用30秒钟完成阅读？